TV heavyweights Sony and LG have just released new, jaw-dropping 4K TVs at this year's CES, with the former's Bravia OLED 4K HDR TV, and the latter's Signature OLED "Wallpaper" 4K HDR W TV. CES has always been the perfect window of opportunity to champion the latest in technology, and these two companies wasted no time in doing so.
This time around, 4K is being slowly fused with OLED technology, which makes for some gorgeous, sleek and unbelievably thin TVs. In recent years, LG's been at the forefront of OLED displays, with most other TV manufacturers still spewing out LCD displays.
Thankfully, there's now stiff competition rolling in, just as Sony's Bravia OLED TVs are coming into full focus.
With that in mind, let's take a step back, look beyond the roused hubbub of CES and examine the two stellar TVs more comparatively, in order to determine which one is the better purchase.
Sony Bravia OLED 4K HDR TV
Sony says its shift to OLED panels will allow it to manufacture TVs with "unprecedented black levels, rich and lifelike color, dynamic contrast, blur-less image and a wide viewing angle," which spells for a huge step-up from past LCD panels from Sony.
There's support for Dolby vision HDR as well, and under the hood is a chip called the 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme. The television itself is extremely thin. Not as mind blowingly thin as LG's Wallpaper TVs, but close. However, there's still a fold-out stand attached to the panel, where all the internals are stored in.
Like past Sony TVs, this new one also runs Android TV. It can also be controlled with the Google Home, which is a just-released functionality. Users may download streaming apps from Google Play, or push content to the TV from a smartphone, tablet or computer.
The new TVs will be available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch variants, though Sony has neither unveiled pricing points nor hinted at a specific release date. TVs announced at CES, however, typically launch by spring.
LG Signature OLED 4K HDR W TV
LG, on the other hand, has its OLED 4K HDR W TV to boast about, a TV that's supremely thin it essentially doubles as a picture frame. In fact, it might even be thinner than a traditional picture frame.
LG's OLED handiwork in the past has always collected its due revere, and for a long time it seemed as if the company is unstoppably dominating the OLED TV market. That recognition is currently being toppled by Sony's new OLED TVs already mentioned above, but it's going to be a tough attempt, since LG's new OLEDs are excellent in their own right, if not more.
The TV is a two-part system: there's the main display, and the main Dolby Atmos sound bar below it, which also houses the TV's internals. The screen is a 4K HDR OLED panel that's just 2.57 mm thick. Those incredulous about the TV's thickness — or more appropriately, thinness — should know that this is made possible by OLED technology, which doesn't require the same backlighting as LCD panels do, thereby greatly reducing the thickness.
The two parts are connected by a cable, which is a genius design choice, since separating the main display from the base has only resulted in a thinner TV. Because of this, however, there's no choice but to mount the TV on a wall.
The TV runs webOS 3.5, and people will surely wish that it runs Android TV or Chromecast instead. LG says it has partnered with major video streaming services, which would likely provide the TV with 4K and HDR content to show off its chops.
LG's Signature 4K HDR OLED W TVs start shipping February this year, but the company hasn't given specific price points yet. What's more, the 77-inch variants will come later than the smaller ones.
Verdict
The lack of pricing renders this battle nearly obsolete, although there are still finer points that can be made clear from these two. Firstly, if you're planning to get LG's OLED W TV, there's no choice but to mount it on a wall, which could be a detriment for those who prefer a TV stand setup. More important to consider is the ecosystem. Sony runs Android TV, which pushes it already far ahead of the LG.
Both are stellar pieces of technology, but LG's gawk-worthy marvel simply screams "innovation." True, there's little innovation to be found besides the thinness of the display, but for those who greatly merit a gadget's inherent eyecandy value, no doubt that they should walk skip past Sony's new OLEDs and scurry over to LG's.
Tell us in the comments if you disagree!
